The gathering of top mRNA researchers at the University of Szeged on November 7–8, 2024, adds a remarkable flair to Hungary’s Month of Science events. For those wondering what makes this event stand out, we’ve rounded up some fascinating highlights about the mRNA Conference in Szeged, sponsored by the Novo Nordisk Foundation, as well as a few notable insights from the symposium.
World-renowned mRNA researcher Katalin Karikó not only played a key role in bringing the international mRNA conference to Szeged but has also sparked a shift in research funding and priority research areas at the University of Szeged by donating proceeds from several of her scientific awards to her alma mater.
TIMELINE
One of Europe’s wealthiest foundations and a leader in funding basic research, the Novo Nordisk Foundation found the achievements of Katalin Karikó, Drew Weissman, Uğur Şahin, and Özlem Türeci so exceptional that it broke with tradition by announcing earlier than usual that the 2022 Novo Nordisk Prize would go to these four researchers. In its announcement on September 23, 2021, the Foundation highlighted the pioneering role these scientists played in basic mRNA research and in developing the first vaccine to help combat the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic.
About two and a half years ago we also reported that Katalin Karikó would be dedicating her proceeds from the Novo Nordisk Prize to support research at the University of Szeged. Karikó, a University alumna, who graduated in biology and earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry, received the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s prize on April 1, 2022, alongside Drew Weissman from the United States and her German colleagues Uğur Şahin and Özlem Türeci. In our coverage of the award ceremony, we also noted that the University of Szeged would be hosting a symposium on the research topics and findings associated with its distinguished research professor.
Two years later, the university’s news portal also covered the September 12, 2024 press conference for the mRNA Conference in Szeged in its article University of Szeged to host two-day conference on the ‘Swiss Army knife’ of medical science.
THE NOVO NORDISK FOUNDATION’S EXEMPLARY TRADITION
The idea for the Szeged mRNA Conference traces back to the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s decision three years ago and the Novo Nordisk Prize award ceremony two and a half years ago. However, the Foundation itself has its roots in the 1920s, and its activities and mission have continuously expanded over the last century. Since the mRNA Conference is hosted by the University of Szeged due to the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s decision, it is only fitting that the conference website highlights the history of its funder, while also providing information about the host, the University of Szeged.
Among its numerous articles about the Conference, the University of Szeged’s English-language website includes a piece titled 'Fueling Innovation: Why Novo Nordisk Foundation is Backing the Szeged mRNA Conference,' which outlines the Foundation’s motivation for supporting this remarkable event. However, the conference itself has much more information to offer in this regard!
Participants of the mRNA Conference and those covering the event will have the opportunity to hear about the Novo Nordisk Foundation’s activities directly from its senior vice president, Martin Ridderstråle. Another highlight on the opening day, November 7, 2024, will be a presentation by Jørgen Frøkiær, who will share his insights on the significance of the Novo Nordisk Prize and the Foundation’s announcement made three years ago. As the chair of the scientific committee that awarded the 2022 prize, he had already noted in the announcement that the decades of dedicated work by the four awardees were instrumental in developing a well-tolerated and highly effective vaccine that has significantly contributed to controlling the Covid-19 pandemic. Jørgen Frøkiær also quoted Louis Pasteur in the announcement: “In the fields of observation, chance favors only the prepared mind.”
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE HOST'S 'COLLECTION OF GEMS'
Thanks to Nobel laureate Professor Katalin Karikó’s decision, the University of Szeged now steps into the spotlight of the mRNA field as the host of the international mRNA conference in Szeged.
Albert Szent-Györgyi set off from his Szeged laboratory to Stockholm for the Nobel Prize ceremony. Archive photo by Béla Liebmann
The conference gives Szeged’s 440-year-old institution – renowned as an outstanding center of education, research, and clinical excellence – a chance to share its unique legacy with the world. The university can highlight its roots and traditions going back to Cluj (Kolozsvár), the capital of Transylvania, and proudly claim its place as Hungary’s only university with two professors who were part of its community when awarded the world’s highest honor, the Nobel Prize: Albert Szent-Györgyi in 1937 and Katalin Karikó in 2023.
Prior to receiving her Nobel Prize, Katalin Karikó delivered a lecture in Stockholm on the story of the 'miracle molecule' mRNA, from discovery to therapeutic breakthroughs. Photo by MTI News Agency / Szilárd Koszticsák
The University of Szeged can even offer visitors a peek into the office of its two Nobel laureate scientists within the university building at Dóm Square, home to the university’s life sciences research and clinical teams.
In the lead-up to the conference, the University has published several articles to provide context for the high-profile event:
The University of Szeged’s news portal has published articles in preparation for the Szeged symposium, highlighting Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó’s efforts in coordinating and promoting scientific research initiatives, and reporting on her insights – as a professor at the University – on the promising directions of rapidly advancing mRNA research.
The University of Szeged’s website has highlighted three research programs from Szeged focused on the practical applications of the mRNA technology pioneered by Katalin Karikó.
Additionally, the mRNA Conference website and mobile app are packed with helpful information. With just a few clicks, visitors can explore the program details and read about the 16 featured speakers. For registered participants, practical tips on transportation, lodging, and dining make planning their stay in Szeged easier.
The venue for the mRNA Conference, the József Attila Study and Information Centre (JATIK or TIK), stands at the heart of the University of Szeged. Since the symposium’s website doesn’t provide in-depth coverage of the venue, here we offer a closer look at the many intriguing features of the university’s ‘glass palace’ and its surroundings.
The Auditorium Maximum at the University of Szeged has been designated a 'Historical Memorial Site,' as it was here that Szeged’s university students first voiced their political demands for the 1956 Hungarian Revolution and Freedom Fight. Photo by I.Ú.
Conference visitors can explore the Klebelsberg Kuno University Library at the Study and Information Centre, with its reading rooms offering a view of another monumental university building just across the Árpád Göncz Promenade. Today, this pink building houses departments for humanities and geography students, but in the past, it was also here that Katalin Karikó, then a biology student, attended many lectures and seminars. This iconic pink building is steeped in history. It was in its grand lecture hall, the Auditorium Maximum, that Hungary’s first independent student organization, MEFESZ, was founded on October 16, 1956. During this assembly, Szeged students were the first to voice demands related to the 1956 Revolution and Freedom Fight. These demands, outlined in specific points, quickly circulated through universities across the country, sparking the October 23 protest in Budapest, which soon escalated into a nationwide revolution. After the Soviet forces regained control on November 4, students from the University of Szeged who had participated in the fight for freedom against Soviet occupation faced harsh reprisals during the crackdown that followed – an impact still remembered 68 years later.
On one side of the Árpád Göncz Promenade stands an American tulip tree planted in honor of Katalin Karikó, the first female Nobel laureate from Hungary, while on the other side, a pedunculate oak commemorates the 75th anniversary of Albert Szent-Györgyi’s receipt of the Nobel Prize, serving as a tribute to the greatness of science.
The Árpád Göncz Promenade, stretching between the Study and Information Centre and the university building housing the Auditorium Maximum, also serves as a place of historical commemoration. Along this walkway, a black marble monument pays tribute to the Szeged students who ignited the 1956 Revolution, positioned near two commemorative trees dedicated to Nobel laureates. On one side stands the ‘Tree of Science,’ a pedunculate oak with autumn-colored foliage, planted in 2012 by nine Nobel laureates who visited the University of Szeged to mark the 75th anniversary of Albert Szent-Györgyi receiving the Nobel Prize. On the other side, an American tulip tree was planted in 2024 by the University’s Alma Mater Community to honor Nobel laureate Katalin Karikó.
The rector of the University of Szeged, László Rovó, and the chairman of the board of the university’s governing foundation visited the permanent exhibition, 'Katalin Karikó’s Journey to the Nobel Prize and Beyond.' Reflecting on the university’s history, the exhibition highlights its most distinguished figures. Photo by István Sahin-Tóth
Situated on the ground floor of the Study and Information Centre building, home to the University Library and the venue for the mRNA Conference, the permanent exhibition ‘Katalin Karikó’s Journey to the Nobel Prize and Beyond’ offers a rich perspective on the history of the University of Szeged. Featured in a video report by Novum magazine, the collection includes two ‘golden’ Nobel medals, underscoring the University of Szeged’s legacy as the university of Nobel laureates.
This remarkable ‘double win’ in scientific history is celebrated on the commemorative medal to be presented as a conference gift to participants. The medal features the portraits of Albert Szent-Györgyi, the University of Szeged’s Nobel laureate professor and former rector, and Katalin Karikó, the University’s professor and the first Hungarian female Nobel laureate.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, the Study and Information Centre also houses a photo exhibition set up for the mRNA Conference in the Centre’s gallery space. This exhibition showcases a selection of artworks and press photos of several awards jointly received by the four Novo Nordisk Prize-winning researchers: Karikó, Weissman, Şahin, and Türeci.
As host of the event, the University of Szeged will present another unique conference gift, which offers fresh insights into the extensive and intricate network linking researchers Karikó, Weissman, Şahin, and Türeci. Featuring a curated selection of awards jointly received by Katalin Karikó and her three research partners, the publication Award-Winning mRNA Researchers: A Tribute to Excellence offers a glimpse into the world of science through the prism of the four scientists’ shared achievements.
Conference participants can also use the practical mRNA Conference mobile app, accompanied by a newsletter offering additional guidance and the latest updates on the event.
Impressively, over a hundred University of Szeged students have already registered for the symposium, with several completing the Coursera mRNA course recommended by Katalin Karikó. It was this course that allowed Letícia Szadai, a resident at the University’s Department of Dermatology and Allergology, to expand her knowledge of this remarkable messenger molecule, gaining valuable insights and experiencing several ‘aha’ moments along the way.
It is also important to note that Professor of Medicine László Rovó, Rector of the University of Szeged, will present the University’s perspective on the significance of the mRNA Conference in his welcome address on the symposium’s opening day.
MORE OF A MISSION THAN A VISIT
The two-day mRNA Conference in Szeged is set to welcome participants and speakers from 15 countries, representing a diverse range of backgrounds. Among them are participants closely connected to Professors Karikó and Weissman. This includes cardiologist Gábor Tamás Szabó from Kisújszállás, Katalin Karikó’s hometown. He graduated in medicine from the University of Debrecen and was later invited by Dr. Karikó to join BioNTech in Germany, where he currently serves as an Associate Director. Also attending is Drew Weissman’s sibling, who is eager to learn more about Szeged and its university.
Biographies of the 16 speakers and abstracts of their presentations can be found on the conference website.
Original Hungarian text by Ilona Újszászi
Photos by István Sahin-Tóth, Ádám Kovács-Jerney
Previously articles on the mRNA Conference Szeged:
Fueling innovation: Why Novo Nordisk Foundation is backing the Szeged mRNA Conference
A real eye-opener: Coursera’s free course on mRNA
New advances in mRNA research spark hope – one year after Katalin Karikó’s Nobel Prize win
University of Szeged to host two-day conference on the ‘Swiss Army knife’ of medical science
